The Greek Cypriot side “should abstain from steps which will harm the negotiations process”, President Mustafa Akinci has said.
Speaking after his meeting with UN Secretary General Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide, ahead of the next leaders’ meeting on Monday, the Turkish Cypriot side has expressed concerns about certain issues which had not been discussed during the negotiations.
Referring to the latest tender opened by South Cyprus for the exploration for hydrocarbons offshore, Akinci pointed out that in the past, negotiations had been halted because of the energy issue.
“We shared our concerns regarding the issue of the new tender that has been covered in the media with Mr Eide. We also shared our views that explorations should not continue in order for the negotiations not to be affected negatively. These riches belong to both sides and should be used sensibly. Therefore, we should abstain from actions which will cause tensions”, Akinci added.
Akinci also evaluated the latest developments on the registration of hellim. “While the initiatives were continuing on the registration of hellim under the name of Cyprus, we reached a consensus on the issue during the European Commission President Junker’s visit to the island. The Greek Cypriot Agriculture Ministry, however, is attempting to amend this agreement. We think this is wrong and our agreement should not be changed. We also shared this concern with Eide”, he stated.
